Denver's Waterton Canyon closed over people taking selfies with bears

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Denver canyon remains closed because too many people are taking selfies with bears
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Bear activity closed down Waterton Canyon in Littleton after hikers started taking photos of themselves with their backs to the beasts

Published: 16:01 EST, 13 September 2015 | Updated: 19:18 EST, 13 September 2015

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Suburban Denver's Waterton Canyon remains closed because of foraging bears and officials say part of the problem is visitors have been getting close to the animals to take pictures with selfie sticks.

Denver Water manager of recreation Brandon Ransom said some visitors to the recreation area had been getting as close as 10 feet of wild bears to try to get a shot of the animals.

With their backs to the bears, no less.

'It is a poor choice from our perspective, A) to get that close to wildlife and B) to turn your back, particularly on bears,' said Matt Robbins, a spokesman for Colorado Parks and Wildlife told KMGH.

#bearselfies: Suburban Denver's Waterton Canyon remains closed because of foraging bears and officials say part of the problem is visitors have been getting close to the animals to take pictures with selfie sticks (file photo)

Concerns: The canyon is located in Littleton. Denver Water posted on their blog early this month about the sad need to keep the area closed for most of the summer, including the current shutdown over bear selfie concerns

Denver Water and state wildlife officials closed the canyon Aug. 28.

'The current situation is not conducive for the safety of our visitors or the well-being of the wildlife,' Ransom said.

The recreation area offers hiking, fishing, and horseback riding.

Wildlife officials say two sows with twin cubs each have been foraging in the canyon along with other bears.

The canyon is located in Littleton. Denver Water posted on their blog early this month about the sad need to keep the area closed for most of the summer.

Mama bears: The disturbing trend has officials at the Littleton canyon especially concerned because two sows with twin cubs each have been foraging in the canyon along with other bears (file photo)

'Closing Waterton has been an unfortunate, but familiar story this summer,' reads the post. 'In May and June, we had to close the canyon because of a deteriorating diversion structure, annual maintenance and flood conditions.

'With more than 100,000 visitors a year, Waterton Canyon is one of the most popular outdoor recreation amenities for Coloradans and tourists alike.

'But as a key Denver Water operational facility, the attributes that make this canyon so great can also lead to unexpected closures.'

Among those attributes is the abundant wildlife, the blog post notes.

'When mama bears are foraging the canyon with their cubs, while hundreds, if not thousands of visitors a day are looking for that perfect wildlife shot, that’s asking for trouble.'